The new Statutes of the Pontifical Academy for Life introduce a new category. The Academy was founded by John Paul II in 1994 to defend and promote the value of human life and the dignity of the person.
Vatican News
The Pontifical Academy for Life has updated the Statutes promulgated in 2016 by Pope Francis, introducing the new category of “Supporters.” These are individuals who, identifying with the Academy’s institutional purposes, contribute to the advancement of its academic activities. They are persons who do not possess an academic profile but who wish to sustain the objectives promoted by the Academy.
The new Statutes, signed by Pope Leo XIV and dated 27 February 2026, define the structure of the institution: the Presidency, the Central Office, the Members, and the Supporters. They also specify the governing responsibilities of the Presidency, while reaffirming the executive and coordinating role of the Central Office.
Supporters are appointed for a three-year term, renewable for up to two additional mandates, by resolution of the Governing Council and subject to the prior nulla osta of the Secretariat of State.
The text, the fruit of a process initiated more than a year ago, has undergone an orderly formal coordination, with the renumbering of subsequent articles and without substantial innovations.
The Pontifical Academy for Life, established by Saint John Paul II through the Motu Proprio Vitae Mysterium of 11 February 1994, “has as its purpose the defence and promotion of the value of human life and the dignity of the person.”
